Dahaad (2023) s01e03 Episode Script

-Yes?
-Hello, Bhaati sir.
I found four other numbers.
One is still active.
In whose name?
Sindoora Johiya.
Between 10th March and 22nd November 2016,
she called a Sadiya Sheikh often.
-She texted and called many times.
-Her address?
I've sent it to you. It's a Sikar address.
But her cell phone has been
in Jaipur for two years.
Sindoora!
-Sindoora!
-I'll get it. Take care of him.
Arjun!
What's wrong with him?
The person you're trying
to reach cannot take…
Yes, Bhaati sir?
Mansoor, where are you?
I'm on my way to Bharatpur
to investigate the Bharti Mali matter.
Make your way to Sikar.
I need information about Sindoora Johiya.
Bhaati sir, I'm on the bus.
The Bharatpur bus.
It must have brakes.
Of course.
Step on them and get down!
-Where is 52?
-Over there.
-Namaste, ma'am.
-Namaste.
I'm from the Mandawa police station.
Does Sindoora Johiya live here?
-Sindoora Johiya?
-No, she doesn't live here.
Her mobile company gave us this address.
I don't know why they did that.
My husband isn't at home.
Come back later. OK?
Yes, Bhaati sir.
Looks like she gave
the mobile company the wrong address.
I spent last week grading
all your writing assignments.
I must say… it was not an easy task.
I would not encourage any
of you to become writers.
Your readers will go straight to sleep!
-No, sir!
-Come on, sir.
Only one student wrote something good.
Miss Surekha Paliwal.
Beautiful piece.
Thank you, sir.
Her story is about a girl who can't walk,
but whose feelings are no
different from our feelings.
Every word is touching.
It's a very moving story.
I've made copies for you all.
Go home and read it.
We'll discuss it next week. OK?
Yes, sir.
-OK?
-Yes, sir!
Surekha.
Yes, sir?
You really brought this character to life.
You made us feel like
we were witnessing her life.
Her anxieties and desires
draw us to her.
One feels like giving her a hug.
Thank you, sir.
May I ask you something?
Is her disability a metaphor?
That's right.
A metaphor for?
Societal conventions that stifle
women and curb our freedoms.
Excellent.
-It's very beautiful.
-Thank you, sir.
I made some notes on the last page.
See them later.
-I can do one. You do the other.
-Sure.
Congratulations, man!
Did he have a boy?
MISSING
KRISHNA CHANDAL
You're jumping the gun.
He only got married yesterday.
At least, the efforts have begun!
Congratulations.
MISSING
KRISHNA CHANDAL
She was found in bridal clothes.
A suicide case.
She's been lying here for two months.
No one has claimed her body.
You're just in time.
We were going to cremate her soon.
OK.
This world is a hellhole.
How can anyone think of bringing
a child into a world like this?
Parghi.
Are you OK?
-You OK?
-Don't tell anyone.
The postmortem reports say
the cause of death was poison.
Cyanide.
No sign of physical assault.
She had sexual intercourse
a few hours before her death.
She was in bridal clothes,
but no other signs of marriage.
The cops assumed she had been dumped,
so she committed suicide.
The toilet door was locked from
the inside. That proves it was suicide.
Something's not adding up. The cyanide.
You can't get hold of it easily.
How did Krishna get it?
JHUNJHUNU POLICE HEADQUARTERS
Hello, sir. How are you? Where is it?
-Is this her?
-Yes.
-Is that your stolen car?
-Yes.
Did the bastards damage it?
Where are the keys?
You can't have them now.
Forensics needs to work on the car.
-And when will they do that?
-When they feel like it.
Go inside and give your statement.
We'll show them as expenses and save 9000.
Yes.
That's no problem, sir.
I'll try saving a bit more.
Hello?
Sub-Inspector Anjali Bhaati
from Mandawa police station.
Who is this?
Mrs. Saini.
This number is in Sindoora Johiya's name.
Do you know her?
-Hello?
-What's this about?
Do you know Sindoora Johiya or not?
This is Sindoora speaking.
Johiya is my maiden name.
Give me your address.
I need to see you. Now.
First, tell me what it's about.
There's an ongoing investigation.
How long have you had this number?
Do you know a Sadiya Sheikh?
Between 10th March and 22nd November 2016,
she received many calls
and texts from your number.
What calls? Who is Sadiya Sheikh?
I've never heard of her.
We have all your phone records.
Give me your address.
And don't lie, I know you live in Jaipur.
Her name means nothing to me.
I'm busy. I'm hanging up.
Hello? Hello!
Don't act smart with me, sister.
The number you're trying to reach…
Hello.
Look, I know you're hiding something.
Speak up, or else I'll come to Jaipur!
Sindoo!
Sindoora!
Sindoora?
Arjun is awake. What are you doing?
Sindoo!
He's crying.
Sindoo?
Sindoo--
Dear Anand sir,
I've tried writing
this letter a hundred times.
I filled the pages, but I don't know
how to end this letter.
This is my 101st attempt.
There seems to be
only one way to tell you.
To confess what I feel for you
in simple words.
I love you, sir.
I don't know if I should tell you,
but it's the truth.
Sir, I hope you won't get angry with me.
I don't want anything from you.
I just wanted to tell you.
Surekha.
-Bunty!
-Sir?
Clean inside the van. It's been a while.
Papa, can I come with you today?
Not today, son. Some other time.
-Morning, child.
-Morning!
Here's your lunch.
-Have it on the way.
-OK.
Did your father say anything
to you when we last saw him?
No. Why?
-What's wrong?
-Nothing.
Did he say something to you?
No. Just asking.
Is everything all right? You look worried.
-I wanted to talk to you.
-Go ahead.
Not now. We'll talk when you're back.
OK.
-Hello.
-Hello.
How is my future wife?
Waiting for her sweet husband.
Not long now.
Soon, I will be wrapped around my Lata.
I've booked a room
at the Happy Well Hotel in Churu.
-And our wedding?
-That won't be long either.
There's a temple near the hotel.
I'll make you my wife there.
Really?
Text me the hotel address.
Promise you'll come?
Have I ever broken a promise?
That's why I love you so much.
No way.
I love you more.
Is that a challenge?
Tonight, we'll find out
who loves whom more.
Hello to Mr. Mahesh.
A bigger hello to Miss Aarti.
How are you?
Living without you is tearing me apart.
It's tearing me apart too.
So, let's meet soon
and become whole again.
-How does that sound?
-You're teasing me!
Did Shiv talk to you?
Yes. He did.
And?
And what? It's a load of rubbish.
People talk nonsense.
There's no smoke without fire.
The fact is you can't
even control your own wife.
That's your problem.
You've always been weak.
You're a man. Be tough.
Look at Shiv.
He is my blood.
Then there's you.
Your wife has made us
a laughing stock in the community.
You better deal with her.
The way you dealt with Mother?
You're worthless.
I know my worth.
I don't need to prove it to you.
You can't even afford
to give me any money.
Your wife's wages pay the rent.
And you go around talking big!
-Bansi!
-Yes, sir?
Get me another roti.
The location is nearby, Bhaati sir.
Stop!
Drive through the gates.
Hey!
Yes, madam?
Does a family called Saini live here?
I'm looking for Sindoora Saini.
You mean Sagar Saini's wife?
Maybe it's Sagar. I'm looking for a Saini.
A Block. They're in flat 602.
Anything wrong, madam?
I'll tell you the whole story
at the station, Mr. Detective.
Let's go.
Are you Sindoora Johiya?
Yes.
I'm from Mandawa police station.
We spoke last evening.
I told you I know nothing.
You didn't explain why between
10th March and 22nd November in 2016,
there were many calls made
to Sadiya Sheikh from your phone.
What calls? Who is Sadiya Sheikh?
I don't know anyone by that name.
Maybe you don't.
Come to the station with me.
We'll question you there.
In 2016, I was living in a hostel.
Not all the girls had mobiles.
Many girls used my phone.
Someone must've called this Sadiya--
Who did? Not "someone." Who?
There were so many girls in the hostel.
How would I know who it was?
Someone used your phone
every day for six months,
and you don't know who it was.
I don't know, madam.
It's his feeding time.
I've told you everything I know.
If anything comes to mind, call me.
I won't be forgetting you.
OK.
Listen.
Did any of the girls
in your hostel go missing?
No.
The caste system clearly specifies
everyone's position in society.
The Brahmins are right on top.
The Brahmins are called
the bearers of knowledge.
They are priests, teachers, and leaders.
The Shudras are right at the bottom.
Traditionally, they are workers…
Sindoora looked surprised
when I asked if any girls went missing.
I know she's hiding something.
Do you think she might be
protecting someone?
I must talk to her again
before I can say anything.
Congratulations, Parghi sir.
You didn't tell us!
Your father-in-law came
by with the good news.
Hand it over!
Well, Parghi?
Sir, my wife is expecting.
Congrats.
Thank you.
Sir, you first.
Give them to everyone.
Thank you.
Mahavir!
Hand them around.
People distribute sweets
after the baby is born.
Explain that to your father.
This isn't the first child ever
to be born. He's overdoing it.
But he's going to be
a grandfather for the first time.
When someone is happy,
they share their happiness.
You could try it.
I am happy.
What's bothering you?
I'm the one who'll carry
the baby for nine months.
And after that?
It'll have to grow up
in this wretched world. Right?
Do you know how fucked up this world is?
I know.
I see bedlam day in and day out.
It's the age of darkness.
This world is no place for a child.
Think about what will
happen to it when it grows up.
Did you think about all that
when you got me pregnant?
Listen.
It's not too late.
What do you mean?
I mean…
No.
No.
Papa, I've been selected
for the interschool debate team.
How wonderful!
I need to go to Delhi
for the national event.
My warrior princess!
I'm sure you'll make us proud.
There are boys on the team.
-So?
-What do you mean "so"?
The teachers will accompany them.
She's at an age when seeing
the world will broaden her mind.
What use is that?
Our daughter will make
something of her life.
Like what? You mean
like your Sub-Inspector Anjali?
Bhaati is one of our finest officers.
I know that all too well.
I also know her mother is jumping
through hoops to get her married.
No one wants to marry her.
Her poor mother!
She whines to everyone she meets.
What will become of her daughter?
So, you want me to suffer
like Anjali's mother?
Nupur is going nowhere.
Don't look sad. If my daughter
wants to go to Delhi, she will.
Eat up.
AADHAAR CARD
I ordered some flowers.
Yes, sir. A dozen red roses.
They've been sent to your room.
Thank you, sir.
Our first night, baby.
I'm collecting memories.
Our first night, baby.
I'm collecting memories.
It's our first night.
I'm collecting memories.
A rose for a rose.
Oh, wow.
Lovely room, Mr. Kartik Sharma.
What are you doing?
It's our first night.
I'm collecting memories.
Move aside.
Step back.
Move it!
No pulse, sir.
-Didn't you go to work today?
-No. I took the day off.
You? Taking time off?
I wanted to talk to you
before Kapish comes home from school.
What is it? Tell me.
You're scaring me. What is it?
There's someone else…
I've been close to him for a while.
Close? Meaning?
I love him.
You're joking, right?
It's been ages since…
-I don't want to talk about it.
-Anand. Anand, please.
His name is Jai.
He works at the hotel with me.
We've been together for six months.
Look, Anand, it isn't your fault.
I don't know how this happened.
You'll find someone who is right for you.
What do you mean by "I'll find someone"?
Vandana, you can't leave me.
If you're thinking about it,
wipe that thought from your mind.
I can't go on, Anand.
Vandana…
what's done is done.
I can put it behind me.
We'll start again.
I'll do whatever you want me to.
But don't talk about leaving.
You and Kapish are all I have.
If you leave, I'll commit suicide.
-Anand, don't talk like that.
-I'll commit suicide.
Anand.
Anand.
-I'll commit suicide.
-Anand, please.
I'll commit suicide.
Look, Anand.
It'll take time to accept.
But this is the right decision for us all.
Anand.
The Dholpur police confirmed the body
they found last year was Gudiya's.
No one claimed her body,
so she was cremated.
Gudiya's family has
identified her belongings.
She swallowed cyanide too.
She was found in a public toilet.
She was dressed in bridal clothes,
but no other signs of marriage.
She had intercourse
shortly before her death.
No sign of coercion.
No phone, no handbag. Jewelry untouched.
-Everything was exactly--
-Like Krishna.
The same pattern.
She left a letter for her family
who knew nothing about the boy.
In both cases,
the toilet was locked from the inside.
What doesn't add up is the locked door.
Maybe he convinced them
to lock the door from the inside.
To lock themselves in and swallow poison?
Maybe.
-Really?
-It's possible.
Possible how?
Guesswork won't solve this case.
Don't jump the gun.
-Focus on the 19 missing girls.
-Sir.
Maybe she met the same fate
as Krishna and Gudiya.
Check the old files, going back six years.
Start from when
the girls started to disappear.
Find out how many unidentified
female bodies were found in Rajasthan
and if there's any connection
to our missing girls.
Ask the families
to identify their belongings.
You two, get on it.
-Yes, sir.
-Check all police stations in the state.
Yes, sir.
UNKNOWN
I've put down the year too.
-Recognize the jewelry?
-It belonged to my daughter.
Write down your name.
An avalanche of suicides!
How come no one has raised
a red flag before now?
Because the girls are poor, sir,
and largely from the backward caste.
No one cares whether they live or die.
You're imagining things.
-This has nothing to do with caste.
-Of course, it does.
Do you see a girl
from an upper caste family?
If there was,
someone would've raised hell.
This bastard knows how little
a backward caste girl is valued.
Even the scales of justice tip
in favor of the upper caste.
Women like me must protect ourselves,
or we'll end up on a board like this.
MANDAWA GYMNASIUM
150 km from Jaipur
is a small town called Mandawa.
It has suddenly come into the spotlight.
The police here
are investigating a case in which
not just one, but many innocent girls
have lost their lives.
Their deaths are made
to look like suicide.
What's unusual is they all
died of cyanide poisoning.
A total of 27 cases.
No one noticed till now?
Girls went missing all over Rajasthan.
No one connected the dots.
When IT checked the call records,
they found a pattern.
He had a plan,
and he chose the girls carefully.
They all had similar backgrounds.
Unmarried, between 30-35,
with families too poor to afford a dowry.
And then the dead girls' phones
were used to contact the next victims.
Who is responsible?
We have no serious leads.
We've questioned the families. No one
knows anything about the perpetrator.
Twenty-seven girls were trapped.
-It's the work of a gang.
-Yes, sir.
They entice the girls, rape them,
and abscond with their money.
Then the girls commit suicide.
Sir, if I may?
They could not have all committed suicide
by swallowing cyanide. A banned substance.
How did the girls get it?
And why would they carry poison
to their wedding?
So, what's your theory?
The man who trapped these girls
persuaded them to swallow poison.
You mean this is the work
of one man alone?
-Yes, sir.
-Bhaati, we can't prove it.
Sir, if it was a gang, their stories
wouldn't have been so identical.
Someone would've slipped up.
This is a man who has done this
many times, so he never slips up.
I request you to keep
your foolish guesswork to yourself.
The media will have a field
day hearing such rubbish.
You'll create panic across the state.
Sir, I took a course on criminal
profiling at the Institute.
This is the real world, madam.
Not your institute.
I've been in the force for 25 years.
I've never come across a serial killer.
Whereas, you've spotted
one in your first year.
I hope you're not spreading
baseless rumors.
Sir, we're looking at it from every angle.
Sir, it'll help if Kassim from I
works with us full-time.
Yes, sir.
OK, I'll look into it.
Sir, the media is waiting outside.
They want to talk to you.
Tell them I'll make a statement later.
Yes, sir.
Use the same line when
you speak to the press.
Yes, sir.
"A gang is ensnaring innocent girls
by proposing marriage to them.
They rape them
and abscond with their money.
The poor girls don't go home out of shame.
They commit suicide."
-OK, sir.
-Yes, sir.
What about the Altaf case?
Sir, the car was stolen. The mechanic
has identified it and reported it.
So, what next?
The forensic team will examine the car.
-Step outside with me.
-Yes, sir.
You people have turned
Mandawa into America!
Madam's seeing serial killers,
while you wait for the forensic report?
You still want a transfer to Jaipur?
Sorry, sir.
-You can't stay silent.
-Give us more.
-Please, sir!
-We need an answer!
We want an answer!
Sir, is it true that the Mandawa police
are reopening cold cases?
Sir, how many girls
have you managed to identify?
A gang is operating in several areas.
Sir, what did I say wrong?
You're my senior.
Shouldn't you have supported me?
Should I have said, "Bhaati believes it,
so it must be right"?
Think before you talk in front
of the Superintendent!
Mind your manners with me.
I'm your senior.
Sorry, sir.
I'm not saying you're wrong.
I don't think it's a gang.
We have no evidence that
it's the work of one man either.
Sir, if you agree with me,
then we must profile him.
Find out whom we're dealing with.
Make a list of suspects.
I know someone who can help us.
OK, talk to him.
Keep up the pressure on Sindoora.
Yes, sir.
And sorry, sir,
I didn't mean to raise my voice.
Not the first time you've said sorry.
It won't happen again.
Not the first time
you've said that either.
Next time, I'll say something new.
Jai Hind, sir.
One, two… One, two… One, two…
Bhaati!
Good morning, sir.
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
It's 6:00 a.m.
Does the time really matter to you?
You hardly sleep.
I need your help, sir. It's important.
Can I come in?
Do I have a choice?
Based on his choice of victims
and the pattern that's emerging,
you've guessed right.
This is the work of one man.
Who can explain that
to the Superintendent?
I tried, but he snapped at me.
What kind of man is he, sir?
A classic psychopath.
His deep-rooted hatred
of women is a key factor.
He's been murdering for years
and has managed to escape arrest
because he knows how to fit into society.
He could be married.
He may have a kid too.
He may have a respectable job.
He leads a very normal life,
so he doesn't arouse suspicion.
The kind of man you would not notice.
But why poison them?
He's probably the passive-aggressive type.
He wants women to suffer
but doesn't have the guts to watch.
Why cyanide?
Other poisons are more easily available.
Cyanide has special uses.
For example, when working with gold,
or in pesticide industries.
It's possible he works somewhere
where cyanide is easily available.
There's something else, sir.
Barring 2-3 cases, most of the bodies
were found on a Saturday or Sunday.
That means he works five days a week.
And hunts his victims on the weekends.
I did take the tablets regularly.
You asked me to stop when I was pregnant.
When did your panic attacks start again?
A few days ago.
You've done so well for two
years without medication.
Has something happened to stress you now?
No, nothing has happened.
Last time, you prescribed me some pills.
They helped.
Can you give me something? It'll help.
All right.
Hello.
I'm at the park.
Arjun was crying. I thought I'd take
him out. I'm on my way home.
REGIONAL TRAFFIC OFFICE,
JHUNJHUNU
Hey, Pawan. No more relaxing.
Get back to work.
I'm very busy for the next few days.
I'll do your work later.
Don't say that.
My promotion will get held up.
Look at the footage
before and after the blue car drove past.
How much footage do you want to see?
Keep looking until we find something.
I don't have the time.
I'll make you a copy.
Check the footage yourself.
-Like I have nothing else to do?
-Want a copy or not?
OK.
Let me finish what I'm doing.
Come back in two hours.
You're being fussy.
See you in two hours.
OK?
MANDAWA POLICE STATION
That way.
They gave us a computer.
It's old, but it should work.
OK, Bhaati sir.
Those files still need checking.
We were tracing Lata Gancha's number,
but it's been switched off for four days.
Come with me.
Four days ago, we found an unidentified
body at the Churu bus stop.
Give me Lata Gancha's address.
You'll have to come and identify her.